Zechariah 9:1-17
The Lord Destroys Israel’s Enemies
This is a prophecy.
It is the Lord’s message
against the land of Hadrak.
He will judge Damascus.
That’s because all the tribes of Israel look to him.
So do all other people.
The Lord will judge Hamath too.
It’s next to Damascus.
He will also punish Tyre and Sidon
even though they are very clever.
Tyre’s people have built a fort for themselves.
They’ve piled up silver like dust.
They have as much gold as the dirt in the streets.
But the Lord will take away everything they have.
He’ll destroy their power on the Mediterranean Sea.
And Tyre will be completely burned up.
Ashkelon will see it and become afraid.
Gaza will groan with pain.
So will Ekron. Its hope will vanish.
Gaza will no longer have a king.
Ashkelon will be deserted.
A people who come from several nations will take over Ashdod.
The Lord says, “I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines.
They will no longer drink the blood of their animal sacrifices.
I will remove the ‘unclean’ food from between their teeth.
The Philistines who are left will belong to our God.
They will become a family group in Judah.
And Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
So the Philistines will become part of Israel.
But I will camp at my temple.
I will guard it against enemy armies.
No one will ever crush my people again.
I will make sure it does not happen.
A King Comes to Zion
“City of Zion, be full of joy!
People of Jerusalem, shout!
See, your king comes to you.
He always does what is right.
He has won the victory.
He is humble and riding on a donkey.
He is sitting on a donkey’s colt.
I will take the chariots away from Ephraim.
I will remove the war horses from Jerusalem.
I will break the bows that are used in battle.
Your king will announce peace to the nations.
He will rule from ocean to ocean.
His kingdom will reach from the Euphrates River
to the ends of the earth.
I will set your prisoners free
from where their enemies are keeping them.
I will do it because of the blood
that put into effect my covenant with you.
Return to your place of safety,
you prisoners who still have hope.
Even now I announce that I will give you back
much more than you had before.
I will bend Judah as I bend my bow.
I will make Ephraim’s people my arrows.
Zion, I will stir up your sons.
Greece, they will attack your sons.
My people, I will use you as my sword.”
The Lord Will Appear
Then the Lord will appear over his people.
His arrows will flash like lightning.
The Lord and King will blow the trumpet of his thunder.
He’ll march out like a storm in the south.
The Lord who rules over all
will be like a shield to his people.
They will destroy their enemies.
They’ll use slings to throw stones at them.
They’ll drink the blood of their enemies
as if it were wine.
They’ll be full like the bowl that is used
for sprinkling the corners of the altar.
The Lord their God will save his people on that day.
He will be like a shepherd who saves his flock.
They will gleam in his land
like jewels in a crown.
How very beautiful they will be!
Grain and fresh wine
will make the young men and young women strong.
Zechariah 10:1-12
The Lord Will Take Care of Judah
People of Judah, ask the Lord
to send rain in the spring.
He is the one who sends the thunderstorms.
He sends down showers of rain on all people.
He gives everyone the plants in the fields.
Other gods tell lies.
Those who practice magic
see visions that aren’t true.
They tell dreams that fool people.
They give comfort that doesn’t do any good.
So the people wander around like sheep.
They are crushed because they don’t have a shepherd.
The Lord who rules over all says,
“I am very angry with the shepherds.
I will punish the leaders.
The Lord will take care of his flock.
They are the people of Judah.
He will make them like a proud horse in battle.
The most important building stone
will come from the tribe of Judah.
The tent stake will also come from it.
And the bow that is used in battle will come from it.
In fact, every ruler will come from it.
Together they will be like warriors in battle.
They will stomp their enemies
into the mud of the streets.
The Lord will be with them.
So they will fight against the horsemen
and put them to shame.
“I will make the family of Judah strong.
I will save the tribes of Joseph.
I will bring them back
because I have tender love for them.
It will be as if
I had not sent them away.
I am the Lord their God.
I will help them.
The people of Ephraim will become like warriors.
Their hearts will be glad
as if they were drinking wine.
Their children will see it
and be filled with joy.
I will make their hearts glad.
I will signal for my people to come,
and I will gather them in.
I will set them free.
There will be as many of them as before.
I have scattered them among the nations.
But in lands far away they will remember me.
They and their children will be kept alive.
And they will return.
I will bring them back from Egypt.
I will gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon.
There will not be enough room for them.
They will pass through a sea of trouble.
The stormy sea will calm down.
All the deep places in the Nile River will dry up.
Assyria’s pride will be brought down.
Egypt’s right to rule will disappear.
I will make my people strong.
They will live in safety because of me,”
announces the Lord.
Zechariah 11:1-17
Lebanon, open your doors!
Then fire can burn up your cedar trees.
Juniper trees, cry out!
The cedar trees have fallen down.
The majestic trees are destroyed.
Cry out, you oak trees of Bashan!
The thick forest has been cut down.
Listen to the shepherds cry out!
Their rich grasslands are destroyed.
Listen to the lions roar!
The trees and bushes along the Jordan River are gone.
The Two Shepherds
The Lord my God says, “Take care of the sheep that are set apart to be sacrificed. Those who buy them kill them. And they are not punished for it. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord! We’re rich!’ And their own shepherds do not spare them. I will no longer have pity on the people in the land,” announces the Lord. “I will hand all of them over to their neighbors and their king. They will destroy the land. And I will not save anyone from their power.”
So I took care of the sheep set apart to be sacrificed. I took special care of those that had been treated badly. Then I got two shepherd’s staffs. I called one of them Favor. I called the other one Union. And I took care of the flock. In one month I got rid of three worthless shepherds.
The sheep hated me, and I got tired of them. So I said, “I won’t be your shepherd anymore. Let those of you who are dying die. Let those who are passing away pass away. Let those who are left eat one another up.”
Then I got my staff called Favor. I broke it. That meant the covenant the Lord had made with all the nations was broken. It happened that day. The sheep that had been treated badly were watching me. They knew it was the Lord’s message.
I told them, “If you think it is best, give me my pay. But if you don’t think so, keep it.” So they paid me 30 silver coins.
The Lord said to me, “Throw those coins to the potter.” That amount shows how little they valued me! So I threw the 30 silver coins to the potter at the Lord’s temple.
Then I broke my second staff called Union. That broke the family connection between Judah and Israel.
The Lord said to me, “Now pretend to be a foolish shepherd. Get the things you need. I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land. He will not take care of those that are wounded. He will not look for the young ones. He will not heal those that are hurt. He will not feed the healthy ones. Instead, he will eat the best sheep. He will even tear their hooves off.
“How terrible it will be for that worthless shepherd!
He deserts the flock.
May a sword strike his arm and his right eye!
May his powerful arm become weak!
May his right eye be totally blinded!”
